


Pieces of a Tiny Dream

by ChasingPeace



Series: If I Dress Up with Love [1]
Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Developing Friendships, Discrimination, Everyone Is Gay, Friends With Benefits, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Transphobia, Nonbinary Character, Polyamorous Character, Questioning, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 04:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12904287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChasingPeace/pseuds/ChasingPeace
Summary: "As she went through her day, Miku found herself getting more and more anxious. Gumi said that she didn’t have to talk if she didn’t want to, but what if someone asked her about her sexuality? Should she say that she was questioning? Was she questioning? Would people think she was weird if she said she was questioning and then later decided she was straight? Or would they think that she was lying if she decided she wasn’t? How would Rin and Len react? How would Gumi react?"Or, Miku goes to her first GSA meeting.





	Pieces of a Tiny Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline wise, this takes place a couple of months before [Purple Flowers Falling from my Palm](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12844845/chapters/29330556) (in September, while pfffmp takes place sometime in November). Also, I hoped I tagged everything correctly, but let me know if I messed up.

There were a lot of things about college that Miku had to get used to.

Of course, there were the things that she had to get used to every new year at school — new teachers, new classes — compounded with the fact that she was in a whole new environment and had to learn the layout of the building. But there were also unique challenges that came from living away from home. While Miku knew in theory that laundry didn’t just magically get done, in practice she was a little baffled by just how  _ often _ it piled up.

“Didn’t I  _ just _ do this yesterday?” She whined softly to herself as she started sorting them into piles.

Gumi glanced up from where she had been working at her side of the room. “Time flies when you’re having fun, cutie,” she said in the gentle voice that Miku was quickly coming to identify as her teasing tone.

That was  _ another _ thing she had to get used to. She _knew_ that her new roommate used pet names with just about everyone, but it still flustered her. She couldn’t figure out if it was in a good way or a bad way.

“Speaking of time flying,” Gumi said, “Yamaha University’s GSA decided on a meeting time. We’re meeting tomorrow night, if you want to come.”

Miku paused in her laundry separating to glance over at Gumi. “Um …?”

Gumi blinked, then seemed to realize. “GSA stands for Gay-Straight-Alliance. It’s chill, though. Doesn’t really bother with a structure or anything like that. It’s basically just an excuse to get together and chat with cool people once a week. Luka will be there. And you can invite your friends, the twins, too. Trans people, and nonbinary people for that matter, are also totally supported. The acronym’s just a little outdated.”

Miku felt an odd little trepidation in the pit of her stomach. But she told herself she was being silly. Gumi  _ knew _ she was supportive. And it wasn't like she had anything going tomorrow. “Yeah. Yeah, okay, I’ll go. And I’ll ask the twins, too."

So that was exactly what she did. Len was  _ thrilled _ at the idea. After getting so much pushback on the dorm issue, the idea of having an entire group that was supportive of him was a bit of a relief. And of course Rin wanted to support him, so she came along, too.

So that was that, but as she went through her day, Miku found herself getting more and more anxious. Gumi said that she didn’t have to talk if she didn’t want to, but what if someone asked her about her sexuality? Should she say that she was questioning?  _ Was _ she questioning? Would people think she was weird if she said she was questioning and then later decided she was straight? Or would they think that she was lying if she decided she wasn’t? How would Rin and Len react? How would Gumi react?

She knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit anxious. She was glad that Rin would be there, at least. And Gumi too, for that matter. She hadn't known the green-haired girl for long, but living in such close quarters had allowed them to bond quickly. Plus, Gumi had a calming sort of presence.

“I think you’re going to really like everyone,” Gumi said as they walked down the hall. “Everyone in the group is really chill and friendly.”

“I’m glad,” Len said. “I’ve been feeling really awkward, you know. I feel like every time I step out of my room, the girls on my floor get uncomfortable.”

Gumi shrugged a little. “If anyone has a problem with you, it’s their business, not yours.”

Len opened his mouth to say something, but then Gumi turned a corner and led them into a classroom. The long tables that usually faced the front had been rearranged, forming a sort of circle. Sitting on one end was a blonde girl wearing a leather jacket, leaning against a guy with almost reddish eyes and chatting casually with a girl with red hair and an ahoge. At the other end, Miku recognized Luka, talking to a woman with short brown hair wearing a crop top and a man with bright blue hair wearing a sheer scarf. And a couple of seats down from them, Miku was surprised to see another familiar face — her poetry teacher, Professor Yowane, sitting next to an adult woman with blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail that spilled over one shoulder.

“Hi, babe,” Gumi glided across the room to greet Luka, who looked up and nodded with a vague expression that Miku thought was a smile. At the sound, most of the other occupants also looked up. Miku’s poetry teacher smiled, brushing white bangs out of her eyes.

“It’s good to see you again … Miku, yes?”

Miku fidgeted with the end of her twin tail. “Yeah, um … Hi, Professor Yowane!”

Professor Yowane shook her head. “Feel free to call me Haku. This is my wife, Neru.” She nodded towards the woman with the low ponytail, who glanced up from her phone long enough to nod. “She teaches in the journalism department.”

“Oh! I didn’t know you were …” She trailed off, wondering if it was an awkward thing to say. But Haku only smiled kindly.

“It hadn’t come up,” she said simply.

Neru, apparently finished, put down her phone. “Oh, you’d’ve found out during the Sappho section,” she said. “There’s a reason she shoehorns her into every course.”

Across the circle, the blonde girl in the leather jacket said dryly, “You have a poster of that gay American journalist hanging on your classroom wall.”

“Rachel Maddow is an inspiration!”

“Miku, do you have a moment?” Luka called gently. “I’d like to formally introduce you.”

Miku glanced over to where Gumi, Len and Rin had already sat. “Excuse me Pro — Haku,” she said.

“Of course,” Haku said, waving her off.

Miku pulled out the open seat between Rin and Gumi, looking around her towards Luka. This was the first time Miku had seen her with her long pink hair down. The way it billowed around her face was … a little distracting, especially when the wind carried a soft floral scent that was either her perfume or her shampoo.

“Um, hi,” she said.

Luka gave that nodding expression again. “Hello,” she said. “Since we talked about her, I’d like to introduce you to Meiko.” She gestured at the brunette. “Meiko, this is Miku, Gumi’s new roommate.”

“O-Oh!” Miku waved. “I, um, didn’t think I’d see you here. Since you don’t go to Yamaha and all.”

Meiko gave a lopsided little grin that managed to be charming and a little intimidating on that attractive face all at once. “Yeah, well, consider me the mascot,” she joked. “Plus, y’know, Luka and Kaito go here, so I’m basically on campus all the time anyways.”

“I’m Kaito, by the way,” the blue-haired man said, draping an arm around Meiko’s shoulders and smiling at Miku. “It’s nice to meet you! You’re a freshman, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” Miku said.

“I remember those days,” Gumi said, leaning back in her chair. “So many new experiences, so much excitement.”

“Darling, you’re only in your second year,” Luka said, pecking Gumi on the temple. Although she wore a neutral expression, her tone was teasing. “You don’t get to get nostalgic until at least your fourth.”

“Grad school, actually,” Kaito said, grinning. “Then you get to look wistfully at when you actually had free time.”

Luka covered her mouth and gave a small, polite laugh. Miku was a little surprised to see them interacting so easily. After all, they both dated Meiko. Didn’t they get jealous? But all four of them bantered easily, unguarded. And they kept opening up the conversation to her and the twins, and the rest of the room as it started to fill up. Miku was sort of in awe of them.

Eventually, an older man with brown hair and glasses cleared his throat loudly to get everyone’s attention. “Alright, I think we’re ready to start,” he said. “For those who don’t know me, hello! I’m Kiyoteru, he/him pronouns, and I teach in the math department. I’m sort of the head of the GSA —”

“Because no one else wanted to do the work,” Neru said quietly.

“But Neru, Haku and Mew are all staff representatives that you should feel comfortable talking to if you need anything. Should we start off by introducing ourselves with names, department, and pronouns?”

“Sure,” Neru said. “I’m Neru. She/Her, Journalism department.”

“Haku,” Haku said, “She/Her, Literature department.”

“Mew,” a woman with sleek black hair on the other side of Kiyoteru said. “She/Her. Drama teacher. I also direct the annual musical next semester, so feel free to get in touch if you want to audition.”

Miku shared an excited glance with Rin.

“Alright,” Kiyoteru said. “If everyone would like to introduce themselves …? Share as much information as you’re comfortable doing, of course.”

Sitting next to Mew was a student with long purple hair, a maxi-skirt, and a surprisingly low voice. “Gakupo. Most people use he/him, but I’m fine with she/her, too. I’m a graphic design major.”

Next to him was the guy with reddish eyes. “Yohio. He/Him, I guess? I’m a business major.”

The blonde in his arms gave a snappy two-finger salute. “Lily. She/Her. Dance major.”

The girl with the ahoge waved shly. “Miki. She/Her. Undeclared major.”

Next to her was a student with striking heterochromatic eyes. “Ruko. They/them. Criminal justice major.”

The student next to them raised an eyebrow. “Ritsu. She/Her. Fashion design major.”

Next up was Kaito. “Kaito. He/Him. Grad student in med school.”

“Meiko,” Meiko said. “She/Her. I don’t actually go here; I’m just dating this loser and kinda dating this one.” She casually gestured to Kaito and Luka in turn.

“Luka,” Luka said, nodding again. “She/Her. Lit major.”

“Gumi,” Gumi said, serene as ever. “She/Her. Sociology major. It’s nice to see so many new faces.”

“Miku,” Miku said, following the pattern. “She/Her. Music Major.”

“Rin. She/Her. Drama major.” Mew wiggled her eyebrows in Rin’s direction at this, and Rin grinned back.

Len fidgeted a little in his seat. “Len. He/Him. Film major.”

Next to him sat a student doodling in a notebook who spoke in a soft voice. “Ia. It’s she/her right now, but um, that might change later. I’m still figuring it out.” She didn’t look up from her notebook. Miku could sympathize. “I’m a Writing major.”

Last was a girl with purple hair who blushed shyly when she realized it was her turn. “Oh! And I’m Yukari. She/Her. Undeclared major.”

Kiyoteru nodded. “Welcome to everyone. And Gumi is right, it is wonderful to see so many new faces. For those of you who haven’t been here before, I want you to know that we aren’t really all that structured, but we do have some ground rules. The first and most important is to respect the privacy of others. Don’t ask people uncomfortable questions or force them to talk if they aren’t ready to. In addition, you should keep whatever is said here in confidence. If someone says something about their identity here, and you aren’t sure if they are ‘out’ outside of this room, then, of course, it’s okay to ask them in private. But you shouldn’t put them in an uncomfortable position — especially in front of peers or staff who aren’t in this room.”

“Some of ‘em can be real assholes,” Lily provided.

“But if anyone gives you trouble, you can let us know,” Neru said, sounding very serious.

Kiyoteru nodded. “Yes, if you feel threatened in any way, that’s what this group is here for. Of course, I am hopeful that won’t be the case, but … it pays to be prepared. Our other rules are obvious, but bear repeating. Be respectful of each other’s identities, be kind to each other, etc. etc. We’re all on the same team here.”

“Even if we’re playing for different teams,” joked Meiko, which got a rise out of most of the room. Miku giggled, and Kiyoteru cracked a smile.

“Well said. And with that, I’d like to open the floor. Did anyone have something they’d like to discuss?”

Ritsu raised a hand in a casual gesture, her expression slightly annoyed. “I would like to give an update, if I may,” she said.

“Of course, Ritsu,” Kiyoteru said.

“Well, I am displeased to announce that despite my best efforts, I have been once again denied access to the women’s dorms. Apparently, those in charge of such matters believe that my  _ years _ of transitioning, hormone therapy, and the like were done with the  _ sole _ intention of, one day, being able to prey on hapless co-eds.”

“They did that to me, too!” Len burst out. When heads turned to him, he flushed a little. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just — they wouldn’t let me stay in the boy’s dorms, either. They said it would be dangerous for me.”

Ritsu nodded. “No need to apologize,” she said. “You have every right to be frustrated. The rules in place are, frankly,  _ fucking _ moronic.”

“And they seem a bit sexist, too,” Miki offered in a quiet voice. There were nods all around the room.

“I’m sorry that you two are dealing with that,” Haku said in a kind voice. “Progress on these matters can be very slow, and frustrating.”

Neru was nodding. “Hell, it took years for the administration to recognize Haku and I as partners. It doesn’t help that I can’t legally call her my wife,” she grumbled.

Kiyoteru nodded. “I encourage you to keep working towards your goal, Ritsu. Even if it doesn’t happen in your time at Yamaha University, you’re paving the way for future students, like Len and whoever comes after him. Of course, I will continue to help you with the necessary paperwork, and help direct you through the proper channels.”

“I want to help, too!” Len said. “I didn’t even know that fighting back was an option.”

“Fighting is not the word I’d use,” Kiyoteru warned.

“Even though fighting is definitely what it is,” Neru said. Kiyoteru’s lips twitched in what might have been a smile.

“Len, I’d happily schedule a meeting with you so we can discuss what Ritsu has already tried, with my help,” Kiyoteru said.

“I’d be happy to be part of that meeting,” Ritsu said, nodding.

“But for now, let’s give everyone a chance to talk,” Kiyoteru said. “Does anyone else have anything to add?”

The meeting continued on in much the same way. Miku learned a lot about the people around the room. Gakupo had a quick humor that consisted almost entirely of memes. Lily seemed to know everyone in the room, including new members like Yohio (who she was “seeing”) and Miki (who she was related to in some way — Miku was pretty sure they were cousins). Ia liked writing stories in addition to drawing.

It was Ia who spoke up when Kiyoteru said that it was the end of the meeting. “I just wanted to say … I’m really,  _ really _ glad I heard about this group. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but … I’m still figuring a lot of stuff out. And I’m glad I found a place where that is encouraged, instead of being made fun of.”

“Me, too,” Miki said. “I’m glad Lily told me about this place.”

Miku pressed her palms flat against her skirt. She wasn’t ready to say it out loud yet. That would require a private conversation with Rin and Len first, and maybe with Gumi. But just hearing other people voice the same thoughts that she had in her own head was enough.

For the first time, Miku thought of her questionable sexuality with something other than nervousness and fear. She thought about it with hope.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not going to lie, this was mostly an excuse to introduce all the minor characters in this series. For something that's mostly self-indulgent, I spent a lot of time thinking them up.


End file.
